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Lighting - HELP !

S

Shamrock

Seedling
Joined
17 Jul 2011
Messages
6
Watts,kelvins, lumens T5s and T8s

Lighting for the aquarium – why is it so complex ?

My set up is as follows – Juwel Vision 180, Eheim 2324 thermofilter, JBL co2 unit, Amazonia as substrate, RO water.

Nearly ready to go and I think I have managed to get to grips with all of the above but when it comes to lighting – I am stumped. Every article I read online about lighting has a different take on the subject. I need simple straightforward advice to start off with.

I want to achieve the ‘jungle’ look with steady plant growth.

I would like the lighting to be soft rather than harsh or extremely bright.

Can this be achieved with the original Juwel lighting unit and reflectors.

If so what bulbs do I need ?

Will I need to add a controller ie. an extra bulb ? I have looked at the lid set up on my tank and there doesn’t seem to be much room to do this due to the curved front on the Vision 180.

Looking to get my lighting sorted before I order any plants and any advice of the non techy variety would be very welcome.

Thanks
 
The original jewel lighting will be fine. They should as standard come with a daylight tube at the front and nature tube at the back. This gives a nice soft tropical look. Are they t5s on yours?
I have the vision 450 and even though it has two light units, 4 tubes in total it's still easy to by a separate starter unit if you ever felt the need to add extra lighting at some point in the future
 
Hi Alastair

Thanks for reply. Bought the tank and lighting unit on eBay. The tubes were both dead so I binned them without checking what they were, thinking it would be straightforward enough to buy replacements. The choice of tubes is bewildering. Whats the difference between a T5 and a T8 ?. What does T stand for ?
How would I add extra lighting ?

Thanks
 
Hi Shamrock and welcome to UKAPS!

T8 is 1"

T5 is 5/8"

So the "T" refers to tenths of an inch. T12 used to be commonplace - so one and a half inch diameter.

Generally speaking T5 produces more light more watt compared with T8 and T12.

It's probably the most popular form of lighting for most planted tank enthusiasts.

Choosing tubes can seem confusing. This may help - viewtopic.php?f=50&t=555

Plants aren't really fussy about the colour temp, spectrum etc. Choose what suits your taste and budget.
 
I forgot to add - the supplied Juwel lighting is ample to grow most plants - assuming it's a relatively new Juwel with T5 (the older types have T8). Fit reflectors though.

Most new Juwel tanks have a 'unique' T5 lamp size. The Vision 180 is 35w, so you may need to shop around, unless you have some already...
 
Thanks Alastair

The unit definitely works - have had it checked out.

Iquatics looks an excellent site - thanks again.
 
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